Immunopathologic Study of Sural Nerves in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In 5 patients with rheumatoid neuropathy of vascular etiology, nerve fibers showed axonal degeneration. One patient with acute neuropathy, not receiving corticosteroids, had acute necrotizing arteritis; IgG, IgM, and β 1C, but not albumin, were found in vessel walls. Patients with chronic neuropathy who received corticosteroids before biopsy had proliferative endarteritis with fibrinogen but not immunoglobulins in the vessels. The proliferative endarteritis of rheumatoid arthritis probably represents the healed stage of an acute arteritis.